Today it is my pleasure to kick of The Life and Times of Richard Musto by Joe Lamport Tour, with a review and giveaway.

Publisher: Roll Your Own Press  (April 8, 2014)
Category: Biography, Photography, Literary
Tour Date: May/June, 2014
Available in: Print,  210 Pages

Kirkus Reviews – The Best Books of 2013 – Indie

“A winsome character sketch that celebrates a homeless man’s quirky personality and picaresque life story…The result is a heartening lesson on “How to live life in extremis / Yet to the fullest.  A romanticized but beguiling saga of one man’s life on the streets.” 

“In a city known for its larger-than-life  characters, perhaps none boasts a personality as outsized and eccentric as Musto’s”- The New York Daily News

Biography of an eighty-nine-year-old man living on the streets of New York City offers a journalistic investigation into the art of survival in America today.

Joe Lamport met Richard Musto completely by accident. The old man had built a campsite on the street corner down the block from where Joe lives in New York City.

Joe had never seen anyone quite like him, a man of that age living on the streets in a cardboard shack of his own construction. He seemed to be about the age of Joe’s own father, so Joe and his photographer friend

Michel Delsol stopped and spoke with him to hear his story.

Two years and countless conversations later, The Life and Times of Richard Musto: The True Life Story of a Survival Artist is the result. This biography of an anonymous man – Lamport explains that Richard literally calls himself “Anmomas” – tells in blank verse and photographs the true life story of a now nearly ninety-year old man who makes his home on the streets of New York City.

Richard is currently In a rooming house in Atlantic City where his rent is paid up through March 1st. If nothing else, we hope sales from the book will be sufficient to cover the cost of his rent for the following month.

A free download of the first two chapters of The Life and Times of Richard Musto is available at www.lifeofmusto.com.

View the Trailer:

My Thoughts:

This is an unusual biography in that it is told in poetic verse. I is also unique because it is about a homeless man who is 90 years old living in the streets of New York City.  It is the portrait of a colorful man who served his country in WWII.

Joe Lamport tells the reader about the varied life that Mr Musto has lived.  He is a larger than life character that you could expect to come across in New York City, yet perhaps not guessing his circumstances.  Nothing is held back.  With Richard Musto’s permission, Joe Lamport tells us all about the life of Mr. Musto, warts and all.

I haven’t read a book in poetic verse for a long time.  Who would have thought that the technique would even work for a biography? Wow, it succeeded fully.  The Life and Time of Richard Musto captured my attention from the first page and I couldn’t put it down.  Enhancing the experience were the photos taken by Michel Delsol.

This book is an honest portrait of a real man.  That means at times it could be considered rated “R”.  It is not for children or those who can’t stomach some swearing, and sexual content, such as occurs in real life.  I highly recommend you read and experience The Life and Times of Richard Musto.

5/5

I received this book for my honest review.

About Author, Joe Lamport:

Joe Lamport is a translator and poet who lives in New York City. His translations of classic Chinese poetry have been published extensively online by The Epoch Times and Brooklyn Rail. He is also the co-founder of the website and newsletter Tang Spirit Network. He has published a chap book of his own poems online and maintains a blog for other work. He isalso the author of a novel called Dinkelmann’s Rules.

Right to left: Michel Delsol, Richard Musto, and Joseph Lamport

About Photographer, Michel Delsol:

Michel Delsol’s photography has been shown in solo exhibits at galleries such as the Japanese Information and Cultural Center, of the Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC, Kinokuniya in New York and La Gaia Scienza in Venice, Italy as well in many group exhibits in New York. His work has been selected for  ’Le Journal de la Photographie’ and F-Stop magazine.  His portrait work has been commissioned by leading magazines, book and music publishers and major advertisement agencies.  His work has received awards and nominations from the Society of Publication designers, the International B + W Spider awards, PX3  and One Life International photography. Several additional collections of his photographs are available on his website: http://lifeofmusto.com/.

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/micheldelsol/the-life-and-times-of-richard-musto/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Life-and-Times-of-Richard-Musto/1400520040189108

Buy The Life and Times of Richard Musto:

https://gumroad.com/l/lifeofmusto

Thanks to Joseph Lamport, I am giving away one copy of The Life and Times of Richard Musto. This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on June 17, 2014.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour:

Indie Reviews Behind the Scenes Apr 16 Interview 8 pm cst-Recorded
So Many Precious Books May 9 Review & Giveaway
Teena in Toronto May 12 Review
Cassandra M’s Place May 13 Review & Giveaway
Inspire to Read May 14 Interview
Every Free Chance May 19 Review & Giveaway
Rebecca’s Writing ServcesMay 23 Guest Post
Rebecca’s Writing Servces May 30 Review
The New In Books May 28 Review & Guest Post
Deal Sharing Aunt May 29 Review & Guest Post
Minnesota Girl in the World June 4 Review
Open Book Society June 6 Review
Room With Books June 10 Review & Interview
I’d Rather Be At The Beach June 12 Review & Giveaway
Books and Bindings June 16 Review, Guest Post & Giveaway